NORWICH: ' 

Early Homes and History. 



A PAPER 

Written and Delivered by 

SARAH LESTER TYLER, 

At the Meeting of 
Faith Trumbull Chapter, D. A. R., held December 7, 1905. 



PUBLISHED BY 



FAITH TRUMBULL CHAPTER, D. A. R. 

NORWICH, CONNECTICUT, 

1906. 



Norwich: Early Homes and History. 



I am sure every one agrees that Norwich, which in the old 
Saxon tongue means North Castle, is a most picturesque and inter- 
esting city. 

In some of the old records it is called "New Norwich," having 
been named, it is pleasant to think, in loving memory of the old 
home in England. There has always been some controversy as to 
the true pronunciation of the name; it has been called, Norich, 
Norwich, Norwidge, and Norridge, and even the old nursery rhyme, 

" The man in the moon came down at noon 
To inquire the way to Norridge, 
The man in the south burnt his mouth 
Eating frozen porridge," 

has'nt been able to settle the matter. 

It is something of a problem to decide zvhcn our city is more 
beautiful ; in the spring, when nature, springing into life, is putting 
forth her tender greens and the high hills are a mass of feathery 
beauty, or, in the autumn, when in her maturity she retires in a 
blaze of glory, the maples, beeches and other foliage vieing with 
each other in gorgeousness of coloring. Norwich stands almost 
aggressively between the arms of the Thames, (the Yantic and 
Shetucket rivers), and with its bold landscape possesses unusually 
diversified scenery. 

The sail up the Thames is delightful ; the hills crowned with 
forests and sloping to the water's edge form an almost unbroken 
frontage of green, reflected in the placid water beneath, and the 
homesteads scattered along its banks add a touch of life and give 
charm to the scene. The approach to the city is striking; at the 
left, rising high is Mount Pleasant ; at the right, equally high, 
Laurel Hill, and in front, rising still higher, is "Jail," or as it used 
to be called, " Savin hill," and on each, tier above tier, are dwellings 



peeping out from masses of foliage. It might, indeed, like Rome, 
be called "The Hill City." Standing upon either of these heights 
one looks down upon a scene of exquisite beauty,— the rivers, like 
threads of silver winding through the green fields that are dotted 
here and there with field flowers, gleam and glisten in the sunshine, 
and make one almost imagine themselves in Rasselas' " Happy 
Valley." 

One seeing Norwich today with its handsome streets, costly 
dwellings, its industries, educational advantages and cultivation, 
could hardly realize that originally this was a wilderness of nine 
miles square, divided among thirty-eight proprietors, or that it 
would occupy so distinguished a place in history, as it now does. 

The early settlers were men of remarkable ability and far- 
sightedness, and through their influence Norwich became a centre 
of patriotism, and later a pioneer of industries. 

Our "Rose of New England," as it has been aptly named, is 
truly an " American Beauty," fragrant with historic associations ; 
her leaves ever green with the records of the devotion of her sons 
and daughters to the causes of liberty, religion, and the material 
interests of the place. 

It has been with feelings of sadness, as well as admiration, that 
I have looked over the history of this old town, and thought of the 
struggles of those early times ; the weary, anxious days and the 
watchful nights, when they knew not which to fear most, the face 
of the savage foe or the growl of the beasts of the forest. And 
the silence! we of the cities whose ears are accustomed to the 
whir and hum of human activities, know nothing of the silence of 
a great wilderness ; the sound of a footfall or the crackling of a twig 
causing every sense to be upon the alert, not knowing what it might 
portend. 

As there were no markets, and very little money, the trade 
was principally by barter, and no doubt the early settlers experi- 
enced many privations ; but as intercourse with other settlements 
was established and the redeemed land became productive, they 
after a time accumulated considerable wealth, and as they became 
more at ease about their temporal affairs, provided better houses 
for worship, education and residence, and the stirring events of the 
Revolution, and the participation in them of the people of the 
"Town Plot," has made their names and homes historic. 



With people who had so strong religious principles as the early- 
proprietors of Norwich, the first duty after securing homes for 
their families and a mill, was to provide a place of worship. The 
first church was built probably about 1661 and stood near the 
southwest corner of the Green. 

It was undoubtedly a very primitive affair, and in 1668, a small 
rate was collected to pay Samuel Lathrop for repairing and height- 
ening "The Meeting house." 

In 1673 the town contracted with John Elderkin to build a 
"New Meeting house." The site selected was on "the rocks." 
The turbulent state of the time demanded that it should be 
where they could not be easily surprised, and that it might serve 
as a watch tower, an arsenal and a garrison post, as well as a house 
of worship." 

Until all fear of the Indians had passed away, the men repaired 
to the church with their muskets, which were stacked outside, and 
some stayed to watch and guard them while the service was 
going on within. 

It must have been weary work for old people climbing the 
steep hill, but they continued to do so for nearly a hundred years, 
for it was not until 1770 that we learn the new church was com- 
pleted in the "Town Plot," probably on the same site which it 
now occupies under the rocks. 

In 1708 a bell had been given the town by Captain Rene 
Grignon, a French Protestant, who had recently come there to 
reside. Miss Caulkins says: "This was supposed to have been a 
Huguenot bell brought from France by a band of French exiles 
who purchased lands at Oxford, Mass., and began a settlement, 
which the hostile visits of the Indians obliged them to abandon." 

Captain Grignon was one of this dispersed company, and the 
bell had doubtless resounded on the shores of France and amid the 
woods of Oxford before it came to Norwich. It was suspended 
from a scaffolding erected on the hill near the ridge west of the 
"Meeting house" and near the path by which the inhabitants of 
the west end of the town came cross-lots to meeting. 

It is doubtful if it was hung in the steeple of the new church, 
although it was ordered to be rung on the Sabbath, and "on all 
public days, and at nine o'clock in the evening, as is customary in 
other places where there are bells." 



Near to this historic old church, facing the Green, is the old 
store. It was built by Gardner Carpenter, one of the first traders, 
and has remained in the family ever since, and is now occupied by 
one of the descendants, Joseph Carpenter, third, a very old man. 

Between the store and the church was the tavern of Jesse 
Brown. In the early part of the Revolutionary war he was in the 
service of the State as an express agent and confidential messenger, 
bringing, in October, 1777, the latest news of the Continental Con- 
gress, then in session at Yorktown, and the occupation of Philadel- 
phia by the British under Lord Howe. This hotel was famous for 
its good dinners. 

Mr. Brown's daughter married a Mr. Vernet, and he intro- 
duced into the garden of the tavern a grapevine which was known 
throughout the neighborhood as the Vernet grape. It is thought 
some of the original vine may still be growing in the garden. 

In 1817, Capt. Bela Peck purchased the tavern, and lived there 
until his death in 1850. It was then bought by Mr. Moses Pierce, 
who lived there several years and then gave it to "The United 
Workers," as a home for friendless children, and the old tavern is 
now "The Rock Nook Home." 

On the corner of "Burying ground lane," was the store of 
John Perrit, diagonally opposite the house which was later sold to 
William Cleveland, son of Mr. Aaron Cleveland. 

On the site of Captain John Mason's dwelling, which was the 
first house built in Norwich, was the court house. It was some 
years since converted into a school house, and remained in use until 
quite recently. 

The key of the court-house was given into the custody of Capt. 
Joseph Tracy in 1736, and a room was made to hold the towns 
stock of ammunition, and a fine of s^". imposed on any man "who 
shall smoke it, in the time of sessions or any town meeting." 

In this court-house in 1767 was read the famous Boston circu. 
lar, and a committee of prominent citizens was formed to draw up 
a report for the next meeting. This consisted of an agreement not 
to import, or to use articles of foreign manufacture or produce. 
One clause reads, "And it is strongly recommended to the worthy 
ladies of this town, that for the future they would omit tea drink- 
ing in the afternoon." In 1774, a circular letter from the Boston 
committee of correspondence calling for resistance to the oppressive 



laws of the mother country, brought out so large an audience, they 
were obliged to adjourn from the court house to the meeting house. 

It was used not only for the county court business, but served 
as a theatre also. In 1791, several "Tragedy's" and a "Comedy" 
called "The Citizen, or Old Sqaretoes Outwitted," and "The 
Female Madcap" were given. The entertainments began at six 
o'clock. Singing schools and dancing classes were held here. 
Mrs. Sigourney says, when discords occurred, the master, with 
more knowledge of music than grammar would say, "There, it is 
them young treble," referring to the girls of the novitiate, tech- 
nically called the young treble ; her first dancing master was a 
Frenchman, whose previous history, not even Yankee perseverance 
could elicit. In front of the court house was the whipping post 
and pillory. 

The first newspaper v/as established in 1773. The press was 
at first set up in an office at the foot of the Green near the court 
house, but in July, 1775, was removed to a new building near the 
meeting house, and for fifty years or more was known as "Trum- 
bull's printing office!" This newspaper was called "The Norwich 
Packet, and Connecticut, New Hampshire, and the Massachusetts, 
Rhode Island Weekly Advertiser." It was afterwards entitled 
"The Norwich Packet and Country Journal." 

Another printing press was set up on the Green the same 
year by Judah Paddock Spooner, brother-in-law of Timothy Green 
who printed "The Connecticut Gazette, New London at the 
North West corner of the Parade." 

The paper used by both firms w^as manufactured at Leffing- 
well's Mills on the Yantic. 

In an issue of the Packet, Sept. ist, 1785, we find : "Wanted — 
A good new Milch Cow, that is very gentle and orderly — Inquire 
of the Printer." This "inquire of the printer" was a common 
ending to advertisements in the Packet, and was used by the wits 
of that time as we use a slang expression. Also, 

Just Published 

Price I I 6 (stitch'd in blue) 

And now selling by J. Trumbull, at 

his Priming-Office in Norwich, 

(By the GROSS, DOZEN or SINGLE,) 

For Cash, Country Produce, Public 

Securities, or clean Linen Rags — 



THE 

Youth's Assistant 

Being A 

Plain Easy and Comprehensive 

GUIDE to PRACTICAL 

ARITHMETIC 

By ALEXANDE McDONALD. 

This work was recommended by Nathan Daboll of the Aca- 
demic School, Plainfield, and was subscribed to by the following 
gentlemen : The Hon. Samuel Huntington, the Hon. Benjamin 
Huntington, Gen. Jedediah Huntington, Col. Christopher Leffing- 
well and others. 

Another Packet advertisement is : 

Edenezer Freeman from Boston 

Blue Dyer — 

Informs the Public that he carries on the business 

of dyeing of Cotton, Tow, and Linen a most 

beautiful blue (in indigo) with the greatest 

dispatch. 

Also takes in genteel Boarders. 

Has a handsome chaise to let. 

Ladies Gauze Caps, Elys, Handkerchiefs, Aprons 

&c. ready made in the newest taste at his house 

leading to the Landing, mostly opposite to Capt. 

Hubbards — 

also 

Just opened 

AT 

Chealsea HALL 

upon a liberal Plan and the most reason 

able Terms 

A good school for the ad 

mission of A large number of 
scholars ; where will be taught every 
necessary branch of Education; — Who- 
ever will be pleased to place their Children 
in this Academic School, may depend 
upon having them well instructed, in 
The respective branches they shall chose 
and the greatest attention paid to their 
morals and good behavior. 

Jl^" Good Accommodations may be 

had for Boarding at six shillings per 
week, 



9 

0^^ Grain, Beef Pork, Butter or 
Cheese will be taken in part pay for 
Board and Instruction — For further par- 
ticulars enquire of the Subscribers — 

Hezekiah N. Woodruff. 
Alexander McDonald. 

Norwich Landing October 19 — 1786 — 

On the east side of the Green, Madame Sarah Knight owned 
and kept as a tavern the house now occupied by the La Pierre 
family ; her warehouse which was near her home has been converted 
into a dwelling. She was the daughter of Thonias Kemble of 
Boston. In 1673 he was sentenced to stand two hours in the 
stocks for lewd and unseemly conduct in kissing his wife at the 
doorstep, after an absence of three years, on the Sabbath day. 

In the town records, August 12, 1717, we find: "The town 
grants liberty to Mrs. Sarah Knight to sitt in the pue where she 
use to sit in ye meeting house". This church still has in its pos- 
session the handsome silver goblet presented to them by her, to be 
used in their communion service. 

In 1704 she made the perilous journey, as it was then consid- 
ered, from Boston to New York on horseback. She wrote a very 
interesting account of it in her diary which was printed in 1825* 
and reprinted by the Academy Press in 1891. She relates very 
graphically her experiences. At one place where she was to lodge 
for the night, she says "she found everything very neat and clean, 
After supper she went to bed, but not to sleep, on account of 
some topers in the next room. At last she rises, sets the candle 
on a chest by the bedside, and " falls," as she says, " to my old way 
of composing my resentments," in the following manner : 

" I ask thy aid, O potent Rum, 
To charm these wrangling Topers Dum— 
Thou hast their Giddy Brains possest— 
The man confounded with the Beast— 
And I, poor I can get no rest. 
Intoxicate them with thy fumes, 
O still their tongues till morning comes." 

And she adds, " I know not but my wishes took effect, for the dis- 
pute soon ended with tother dram, and so Good night." 



Many of the old houses about the Green and the streets lead- 
ing to it have a history of Revolutionary interest. 

The house now owned by Mrs. W. Fitch was built by Gen. 
Jedediah Huntington, who married Faith Trumbull, and served in 
all the most important engagements of the war. General Hunting- 
ton probably entertained the younger Tallyrand, and at a ball that 
he gave soon after peace was declared, Rochambeau and General 
La Fayette, as well as Washington, were present. 

Near here lived Lieut. Tracy, and Gov. Samuel Huntington 
built the house now owned by Mrs. Charles Young. 

Here was the centre of gaiety. Miss Caulkins says: "The 
Gov. Nephew, and his wife's neice, the beautiful Betsey Devotion 
of Windham were frequent guests. After the social chat of the 
parlor they would repair to the kitchen, and dance away till the oak 
floor shone under their feet, and the pewter quivered upon the 
dresser." 

These pastimes seldom lasted beyond nine o'clock. The good 
old Norwich custom of ringing the bell at that hour broke up all 
meetings, dispersed all parties, ended all discussions, and sent all 
visitors quietly to their homes and their beds. 

At the head of North Washington Street, a little up the hill, 
is the house where Mrs. Sigourney lived at the time of her marriage ; 
she often refers in her poems to the little brook that passed her 
door. Her youth was spent with Mrs. Dr. Daniel Lathrop, who 
lived where the Misses Gilman live. Norwich has always had the 
greatest veneration and affection for her gifted daughter. 

Across the street, a short distance down, is the Harlard resi- 
dence, which was established in 1773 by Mr. Thomas Harland, a 
clock and watchmaker. In the Packet, December, 1773, he prom- 
ises "to do repairing and make watches as fine as can be done in 
London." It is said the row of trees standing directly in front of 
the Harland house was set out by Nathaniel Shipman, Sept. 6, 1781, 
the day New London was burnt by the British. Still farther down 
the street was the "grant" belonging to the Bliss family. 

The son of Mr. John Bliss was a distinguished bridge builder, 
and built the bridge known as the Geometry bridge. It was 
described in a newspaper article June 20, 1764 : 

" Leffingwell Bridge over Shetucket River at Norwich Landing 
is completed. It is 124 ft in length and 28 ft above the water. 



Nothing is placed between the abutments, but the bridge is sup- 
ported by Geometry work above, and calculated to bear a weight 
of 500 tons. The work is done by Mr. John Bliss, one of the most 
curious mechanics of the age." This bridge is supposed to have 
stood where the Laurel Hill bridge now stands. 

Across the way from the Bliss home lot, as it was called, was 
that of Lieut. Thomas Leffingwell or Leppingwell, as it was some- 
times spelled. Leppingwell means "Leaping well," denoting a 
boiling or bubbling spring. He took a leading part in all town 
affairs. The Sheltering Arms was once the property of Thomas 
Lefifingwell 3rd. Col. Christopher lived on the home lot, and was 
an ardent patriot. General Washington on one of his visits par- 
took of the hospitality of the Leffingwell home. He contributed 
land toward the opening of Broadway, and planted some of the 
elms which are such an ornament to the city. The Benedict 
Arnold house was on the site of the one now known as the James 
Ripley place, and the old well and other surroundings remain as 
they were in his time. He was apprenticed at one time to Doctors 
Daniel and Joshua Lathrop. These two doctors and Dr. Philip 
Turner were the leading physicians of the place. 

Near the entrance to Mill Lane is the Reynolds house, which 
is on the original home lot, and is one of the few houses that has 
some of the original house still in it. The other one is the Gen. 
Jabez Huntington house, which is the quaintest, oldest and most 
interesting one in the city. Mill Lane was the thoroughfare to 
the Landing. It was changed to La Fayette Street, because it 
was said General La Fayette called on a Frenchman living there 
named Louis Barriel, a stocking weaver. 

The triangular plot now the Little Plain was formerly called 
the Everett Lot. It belonged to Colonel Leffingwell, and after 
his death was purchased jointly by Hezekiah Perkins and Jabez 
Huntington, and in 181 1 presented by them to the city on con- 
dition that it should be enclosed and used only as a park. 

East of the park was the old L'Homedieu house and rope- 
walk. This house was a quaint old mansion with a lean-to, and 
the rope-walk was conspicuous with its red paint. 

Next the L'Homedieu house is the one now owned by Mr. 
B. P. Bishop, which was built some time in the latter part of 1700 
by Mr. Thomas Coit. It was purchased in 1S16 by Mr. John 



De Witt, who married Harriet, daughter of Gen. Jedediah, and 
grand-daughter of Gen. Jabez Huntington. The last time General 
La Fayette was in Norwich he went to see Mrs. De Witt, and 
asked her if there were any other descendants of Gen. Jedediah 
living here. Little Sarah Huntington, now Mrs. Edward Hunting- 
ton, who was living with Mr. Jabez Huntington two houses below, 
was sent for. She was about twelve years old when she saw him, 
and remembers him as tall and very thin. When he went away 
he kissed all the children, and Mrs. Huntington is the only one 
living, in this city at least, who has had the honor of meeting and 
being kissed by General La Fayette. 

Where the Broadway Church stands was an old house called 
the "Bath house," — probably Bath Street was named from it. 
When there were freshets in the spring the Franklin Street brook 
would become a river and regularly surrounded the old Bath 
house. Once while Mr. Dorchester, a Methodist minister, was 
living there, the water rose so high the family had to be taken out 
of the chamber windows. He said, " If he had been a Babtist, he 
shouldn't have minded it so much, but as he was a Methodist, he 
didn't like quite so much water." 

Across the street from the Bath house lived Mr. Lemuel 
Warren, "Daddy Warren," as he was called, and the older people 
say when they were children they used to go to Daddy Warren's 
to get frozen apples. It seems a most satisfactory remembrance. 
A part of Union Square was Mr. Warren's garden, and where 
the court house stands was the home of Capt. Christopher Vail, 
master of the packet Venus. 

On the site of the Central building, Lower Broadway, stood 
the old Nathaniel Backus house. This was a very fine specimen 
of the old dwellings. The paneled front door was a work of art, 
and very imposing with its immense brass knocker, which, when 
lifted and brought sharply down, gave forth a sound that re- 
sounded throughout the house. Entering the door, one found 
themselves in a square hallway and facing the stairs which led to 
the rooms above. The stairs were broken by two "landings;" 
the sides were of solid wood, beautifully paneled and rich with 
carving. The rooms were large, the "lights" in the windows 
small, and the fireplaces large enough to contain nearly a cord of 
wood each. We must not forget the kitchen fireplace with it§ 



crane and pot hooks, and the capacious oven, where were baked 
the winter's store of mince pies, the pumpkin pies, and the crisp 
loaves of brown bread. 

Next to the Backus house was the Grace house on the corner 
where the Wauregan is, and the Christian Association building 
and Otis Library occupy ground formerly belonging to Dr. Ripley. 

The next house of note is on Church Street, just above the 
Central Baptist Church ; it was built by Mr. Prosper Wetmore 
and sold by him to Dr. Lemuel Boswell, who for many years was 
the principal physician of Chelsea. There are several interesting 
traditions of the Boswell family. They have a very dainty blue 
satin slipper that belonged to Miss Anne, daughter of Dr. Lemuel 
Boswell. It is said she used to walk in these slippers from her 
home on Church Street to Norwich Town to do her shopping. 

All the ladies of Chelsea used to go to "The Green," a dis- 
tance of nearly two miles, to do their shopping, for they found 
there the best assortment of dry goods — ribbons, laces, crapes, 
calimaneos, tammys, London dolls, etc. 

Dr. Thomas Boswell, son of Dr. Lemuel, when a boy was of a 
mathematical and inventive turn of mind. I was told he used to 
go up into the attic after school and make drawings and calcula- 
tions on the rafters, telling the family there would be steam car- 
riages in the future, and people would ride in them. The family 
was alarmed about him, thinking his brain was affected from over- 
study, as at that time anything of the kind was unknown. 

He was so persistent and talked about it so much, his father 
determined to send him to sea with his brother, Capt. John L. 
Boswell, master of the ship Sally. They had not got far from New 
London when they encountered a severe storm ; the waves were 
very high and the ship was rolling badly ; a wave swept across the 
deck and washed young Boswell off, almost the next moment a 
returning wave brought him back again. The sailors were super- 
stitous and declared he was a "Jonah." They said he did not 
want to go to sea, and if he stayed, they would not sail the ship. 
Captain Boswell was obliged to return to New London and send 
the young man home. He then decided to study medicine, and 
became a prominent physician. His daughter, who told me these 
incidents, went with her father to see General La Fayette when 
be was here the last time. A great celebration was to take place 



14 

in the General's honor. He had some slight illness, and her father 
was sent for the the night before; in the morning he went again 
and took her with him ; she remembered him distinctly, his feat- 
ures, his uniform, and his genial manner with her father. 

Dr. Thomas Boswell married the daughter of Nathaniel Pren- 
tice Peabody, who built the house now owned by Dr. Cassidy and 
next to those that belonged to Rev. John Tyler, Dr. Lemuel 
Boswell built the large house on the corner of School Street Lane, 
now used as a boarding house, between his old home and that of 
"Parson Tyler." 

Opposite is the Second Congregational Church, organized 
Nov. 29, 175 1. The meetings were first held in Trapp's tavern, 
corner of Shetucket and Water Streets (where the Bill block 
now is), and the people were summoned to worship by the tap 
of a drum. In 1763 a small wooden building was erected on Main 
Street, very unpretentious, and without tower or steeple ; so the 
church bell was hung on the limb of a tree near by and performed 
its duty there. This wooden church was destroyed by fire ; then 
the present site was purchased, it had been the regular training 
ground, and another wooden church built. To defray the expense 
of building, a lottery to raise ;^850 was granted by the Legislature. 
The church was used as a polling place until it was forbidden, 
because they were so careless about spitting tobacco on the floor. 
This church was destroyed by fire also, and the present stone 
church was built. Every precaution was taken to secure this 
from fire; among other regulations, the sexton was allowed to 
demand a quarter of a dollar for every foot-stove left in the house 
after the meetings were ended. This great fire of 1793 caused the 
first fire insurance company to be organized here. 

Let us go back now to Mill Lane, stopping for a few moments 
at the Falls, made famous by the legend of the pursuit and flight 
of the Mohegan and Narragansett Indians, and the reckless leap 
of the latter into the Falls. As the story was told me when a 
child, some of the Indians leaped across the chasm and escaped, 
which does not seem so incredible when we remember the mar- 
velous stories told of their agility in leaping and running, and 
that the chasm was not so wide as it is now. 

As we come down town again, we pass through Sachem 
Street and stop for a moment at the Indian burying ground and 



Uncas monument. This burying ground extended beyond Mr. 
W. Blackstone's place on the north and Mr. F. Osgood's on the 
south ; and no doubt the ground is rich with Indian relics, as a 
friend told me whose mother lived there when she was young, 
that she used to see them bury their dead with all the Indian rites! 
placing in the graves wampum, tomahawks, arrowheads, beads, 
and many personal belongings. 

Chelsea Parade was at first known as the Little Plain, to dis- 
tinguish it from the Great Plain, which was on the other side of 
the city. Can anyone tell why we call it East Great Plain when 
it is on the west side of the river, unless it was divided for some 
reason, and that is the eastern division. 

On the nth of September, 1793, the 20th Regiment of Infan- 
try was reviewed on this Plain, and after that it was always called 
The Parade. Long before, it had been known as Adgate's three- 
square lot. Joseph Perkins and Thomas Fanning, two far-sighted 
and generous men, of their own free will and expense cleared this 
piece of ground of all incumbrances and claims and gave it to the 
town of Norwich and its inhabitants for a public parade or open 
walk forever. 

The house occupied by Rev. Dr. Howe, facing The Parade, 
was built by Joseph Teel of Preston in 1789 or '90. It was de- 
signed for an hotel and advertised as " The Teel house, sign of 
General Washington." It was noted for its fine hall or assembly 
room, where shows were exhibited and "Balls and Clubs accom- 
modated." Where General Ely lives was the home of Rev. Alfred 
Mitchell, and his distinguished son Donald (Ik Marvel) was born 
there in 1822. It was a fine large mansion, but one sad day it was 
cut into two parts, raised on jack-screws, and with slow and digni- 
fied movement retired to the Falls, where the parts were rejoined 
and became a mill house— "sic transit gloria mitndir 

A large portion of Washington Street was through land be- 
longing to Mr. Simon Lathrop. It followed the river, and the 
path had been called the West sheep walk, while Union Street 
and Broadway had been called the East sheep walk. 

The first house was built by Elijah Lathrop in 1780, others 
soon followed; Samuel Woodbridge, afterwards owned by Mr. 
Richard Adams, Theodore Barrel, a gentleman from Barbadoes, 
and in 1809 Mr. John Vernet, who married Mr. Jesse Brown's 



i6 

daughter, purchased the Lathrop house (built in 1780), had it 
moved down the street a little distance, and caused a new house 
to be built that exceeded in cost and elegance anything that had 
ever been built in Norwich before. 

Sudden embarrassments coming to him, he sold his place in 
181 1 to Mr. Benjamin Lee of Cambridge, Mass. The grounds 
about the house were very handsome, and it was one of the de- 
lights of my childhood to walk up Washington Street, and when 
I came to this place, stick my feet in the wall and pulling myself 
up, look over at Adam and Eve in the garden. They were mira- 
cles of art and beauty to me then, and although they do not look 
quite so large or magnificent these days, I was always glad to see 
my old and valued friends, and was sorry to have them leave town. 
They are of historical value, too ; they were made of lead, and be- 
longed to Mr. Lee's brother who lived in Cambridge, and had them 
buried all through the Revolutionary war, presumably for fear 
they might be melted into bullets. 

Quite aways down the street was the home of the Clements 
and Breeds, next above Mr. Harwood. Mr. Jeremiah Clement's 
daughter Elizabeth married Mr. David Breed, and after his death 
she married Mr. Aaron Cleveland, ancestor of President Cleve- 
land. The large elm tree in the centre of Washington Square 
was planted by Peabody Clement when he was twenty-one years 
old in what was then the front door yard of the Clement home. 
The tree is now (1906) about 160 years old. Mr. John Breed lived 
there also. 

Passing on down Main Street we come to the Austin block ; 
this was at first Kinney hotel, but was later called The Merchants 
hotel. 

In the summer of 1833, President Jackson was making a tour 
of the New England States ; the opportunity was seized to celebrate 
the event by having the President assist in laying the corner- 
stone of Uncas monument. He stopped at Kinney's hotel and a 
banquet in his honor was prepared for three hundred guests. The 
dining room was beautifully decorated with greens, and artificial 
flowers furnished by the milliners, of whom there were several on 
the opposite side of the street. Mrs. Lee of Washington Street 
had some cultivated strawberries, the only ones in this vicinity, 
and they were considered a great luxury. She sent a dish of these 



17 

to the President, and the old lady, who was ninety years old when 
she told me of these incidents, said she prepared the berries with 
sugar and cream and gave them to him ; it was all he ate for his 
dinner. Another interesting event was the crowning President 
Jackson with a wreath of flowers by Miss Ann Lanman, daughter 
of Judge Lanman, as he sat on the porch of the hotel. 

She also told me her grandfather kept the tavern on the 
corner of Main Street and Broadway where the Norwich Savings 
Bank now is. 

General Washington stayed there when he passed through 
Norwich on his way to take charge of the troops at Cambridge, 
June, 1775. It was called "Cheney's tavern." In the early days, 
to be licensed to keep a tavern, one would have to be possessed of 
considerable means, and of some consequence in the community. 

On the Shannon building corner was the store of Nathaniel 
Backus, Jr., one of the most conspicuous places of the Landing. 

As we go through Swallow All, as East Main Street was then 
called, we pass by Franklin Street, then the road to Lisbon, and 
come to the Governor Buckingham house. All this vicinity was a 
hive of sea captains. Governor Buckingham's house was built 
much later and is associated with later history. General Grant, 
when President, visited the Governor, and a reception was given 
in his honor to which the public was invited. Abraham Lincoln 
is said to have spent a night there also. Many of the Presidents 
of the United States have visited here, and Mr. La Fayette Foster, 
whose home was on Chelsea Parade, was for a short time Vice 
President of the United States. 

The old toll bridge was an interesting place; it was covered, 
and a lady said she used to count the boards going over to take up 
her mind she was so afraid ; they were so far apart you could see 
the water rushing along beneath, and she felt every moment she 
might fall through. 

Above the bridge, almost in a line with St. Mary's Church, 
Greeneville, was the old "riding way," or ford, over the Shetucket 
river, connecting with the old turnpike from Boston to Providence; 
the same used in all probability by General Washington on his 
different visits to Norwich. 

The people living in Preston often used this "riding way" to 
avoid paying the toll at the bridge. There was an upper "riding 



I8 

way" near Taftville, which was more convenient and probably used 
much oftener by the Town Plot people ; quite likely this was the 
one used by Madame Sarah Knight. 

The first bridge uniting Chelsea and Preston was built by 
Capt. William Whiting, who obtained a loan of £So from the town 
treasury for this purpose. He was afterwards distinguished for 
gallantry in the French war on the frontier. This bridge was built 
27 years before the Bliss bridge, that being built in 1764. 

Mrs. Welch told me, in her young days, more than a hundred 
years ago now, they used to go over this bridge to Tory hill, now 
called Lanman's, and Pepper's hill, now Laurel, to have picnics. 
Old Mr. Pepper and his wife lived there, and sold beer and ginger- 
bread. Across the river the hill was sometimes called Oak Spring 
hill and sometimes Baptist hill. The wharf bridge was built in 
1771 at the instigation of Mr. Gershom Breed. 

In the Norwich Packet, December, 1773, was the following 
advertisement of the lottery: 

SCHEME 

OF A 
LOTTERY 
Granted by The General Assembly of The Col 
ony of Counecticut at their Sessions in Octob- 
er 1773 for raising the Sum of ^278— or 926 
Dollars for finishing and compleating the great 
Wharf Bridge at Chealsea in NORWICH 
viz. 
2000 TickETS at 2 1 Dollars each is 5000 
Joshua LATHROP' ) 
SAMUEL TRACY >■ MAnagers. 
RUFUS LATHROP ) 

^$4074 Are to be distributed in prizes 
926 For the benefit of the bridge 

5000 

•We must not forget that Norwich, or Rocky Point, was en- 
gaged in shipbuilding at one time — many small vessels and one 
small man-of-war was built here and sold elsewhere, because wood 
was plenty, and it was easy to float them down the river. 

The European and West Indian trade was quite important, 
and a source of great wealth to the people of Chelsea. 



19 

Along the wharves were lying coasting sloops, packets and 
brigs, and back on Water Street were the mercantile establish- 
ments ; the most prominent of all were those of Jacob De Witt 
and Gershom Breed, both established in 1765. 

On the way to Taftville we pass the monument of Mianto- 
nomo. The history of this chief is too well known to repeat. If 
this monument does not mark the place of his death, it does of his 
capture. At first it was a rude heap of stones, cast there by the 
Indians, friend and foe alike, though each was actuated by differ- 
ent motives. It gradually disappeared, and when it was decided 
to erect a monument, a committee was appointed to determine the 
place where it had been. Rev. Mr. Shipman's father was one of 
the number and remembered seeing the heap of stones when a 
boy. When asked afterwards how he knew where the exact spot 
was, replied : " I didn't know where it was, but it was no time to 
balk." 

Coming across from Taftville, we will make a flying trip to 
Bean Hill, and just look at the old Meeting house, the Edmund 
Cookings', Lieutenant Tracy's, Governor Sutton's, Lieutenant 
Griswold's and other houses, remembering these, too, were the 
founders of Norwich. 

At Bean Hill was one of the first potteries in this country. 
They manufactured a yellow brown salt-glazed earthenware, of 
which there are very few specimens in existence. This salt-glaze 
was discovered about 1680 by a servant who lived on the farm of a 
Mr. Yale. There was an earthen vessel on the fire with brine in it 
to cure pork. While the servant was away the brine boiled over, 
the pot became red hot, and the sides were found to be glazed. 
A potter utilized the discovery and the salt-glaze became an estab- 
lished fact. 

Half way down to the "Town Plot" is the Mason monument, 
which is placed on what is supposed to have been the first burial 
place of the founders. History and tradition alike say Major 
Mason was buried here. 

After a long and not too weary a trip— so long, however, we 
have had to leave unnoticed many notable places,— I will leave 
you where we started, at the Norwich Town Green in the old 
Town Plot. 



NORWICH RECORD PRINT. 



